Cougar sighting is cause for alert

A cougar was seen around 9 p.m. Wednesday night chasing a deer across Government Way near Mukogawa-Fort Wright Institute in Spokane.

The large, healthy-looking cougar was in hot pursuit of the deer when a vehicle driven by a man visiting from Alaska interrupted the chase. The cougar leaped about …

A cougar was seen around 9 p.m. Wednesday night chasing a deer across Government Way near Mukogawa-Fort Wright Institute in Spokane.

The large, healthy-looking cougar was in hot pursuit of the deer when a vehicle driven by a man visiting from Alaska interrupted the chase. The cougar leaped about 20 feet in the air off the side of the road, the driver said.

The week’s snowfall will concentrate deer, and deer are a cougar’s primary prey.

This sighting should serve as a reminder that solo hikes are risky, especially for people of small stature that are more likely to be targeted by cougars. Stay in groups and keep children close by.